Looking Out for Both Of Us
by Lenni George
Summary: The continuing saga of Mac Taylor and OC Drea Cesarone - a follow up to my prior story - Falling Down the Rabbit Hole. Spoilers for any and all eps possible.
1. Chapter 1

Sometimes, Mac Taylor decided, things just feel right. Tonight, was one of those things.

It was nearly ten when Drea Cesarone knocked on his door, arriving soaked to the bone in the middle of a late fall rainstorm. He ushered her in, taking her wet trench coat and hanging it on the coat rack.

She told him she'd been thinking about him, that she'd wanted to call him a few times in past few weeks. That she'd been wanting to see him, more than their brief professional interchanges and that finally, that night, after two glasses of Jamison's during an after work happy hour, she'd screwed up her nerve and decided to pay him a visit.

She laughed, nervously, when she asked him if he minded her showing up unannounced. As she looked at him, her dark eyes intense, her dark hair hanging in soft wet curls, he had to fight the urge to pull her into his arms.

Instead, he offered her some dry clothing and something warm to drink. She accepted both offers and followed him into his bedroom, watching while he pulled a pair of sweats and a t-shirt from his dresser. Her eyes seemed to track him like a laser and he found this both exciting and unnerving.

"Mac," she said, her voice rich with desire, as she stepped to him. "I haven't been able to stop thinking about our kiss."

He smiled at her, "You too?"

"I kept thinking that maybe we should have…" she trailed off.

"The timing wasn't right," he tried. She stood so close that he could feel the heat from her body. He wanted to touch her, to hold her, but he held off, waiting for her to initiate things, for her to give the green light.

"And now? Time has passed," she breathed, placing her hands to his chest. "I want to try that kiss again, Mac….and this time, I don't want to pull away."

He placed his hands on her waist, leaning close. "Drea, are you sure…"

She smiled, "Still looking out for me?"

"I'm looking out for both of us," he said, as their lips brushed.

"So am I," she replied, pressing her lips to his.

This time, neither of them pulled away. Instead, they allowed themselves to prolong the kiss, their tongues tangling, their hands cautiously exploring. As they kissed, their hands became more bold, their touch more urgent.

"Mac…" she said, pulling back and locking her eyes on his, "Take me to bed?"

"Drea…" he warned, his mind fighting to keep his body in control.

She shook her head, "Don't…please? You know we both want this…I don't want to talk it out, I don't want to over think it…" She claimed his lips in a hard kiss. "I just want you."

All thoughts of resistance evaporated and he pulled her close, returning her kiss. As they made their way to his bedroom, clothing was shed and dropped without care. When they reached the bed, they fell upon each other with a frenzied need.

For once in a very long time, Mac didn't over think things, hell, he didn't think at all. He simply gave into the feelings that she'd stirred in him weeks ago. He didn't worry about the consequences of their actions; he simply drank in her smell, her taste, the feeling of her skin, the touch of her hands, and the sound of her cries. He allowed himself to become drunk on sensation and to ride the building waves.

"Mac…" she gasped, as her nails dug into his arms, her body tensing. "Oh…."

The loud shrill ringing of his cell phone replaced her voice. He focused on her face, not wanting to stop, but the phone rang again.

XXXXX

At the third ring, Mac sat up in bed, panting, bathed in sweat. He looked around the room, finding himself alone in bed.

"Shit," he spat, staring at the offending piece of electronics. Forcing his breathing to slow, he flipped open the phone angrily, "Taylor," he snapped.

"Mac?" Stella's voice began, "Did I interrupt something?"

"Just sleeping," he gruffly said, "What do you need?"

"Flack pulled in a suspect on the Shoe String Murders; I thought you'd want to come down for questioning."

"Yeah, I'll be there," he said, flipping the phone shut.

Running both hands through his hair, he took a deep breath and forced back the thoughts of his dream encounter with Drea. Tiredly, he pulled himself out of bed and made his way to the shower.

XXXXX

The growling of his stomach reminded Mac that he had skipped his morning stop at the Avenue C Diner. Checking his watch, he realized that it was lunch time and he should probably get something into his stomach besides the four cups of coffee he'd ingested so far.

Staring at the mound of paperwork on his desk, he tried to talk himself into walking away from it, if only for a few minutes, to pick up something for lunch. As he debated running out, the phone on his desk rang.

Lifting the receiver before the second ring, he brought it to his ear and answered, "Taylor."

"Hey Stranger," Drea's rich voice said, instantly bringing back images of his very erotic, very vivid dream.

Forcing back the images, he warmly replied, "Drea. How are you?"

"Good, really good," she replied. "So much has happened since we last spoke, Mac."

"All of it good, I hope," he smiled.

"Yeah, except that I've let a very important friendship slip to the side," she seriously said. "I miss you and I've been thinking about you a lot. I…"

"Drea, you don't need to explain, I understand. I've been thinking about you too," he replied, wondering what she'd think if she knew just how he'd thought of her this morning.

"Really?" she asked, and he could hear the smile in her voice.

"Really," he concluded, then, before he could think himself out of it, he said, "Want to have dinner with me?"

"I'd like that. When were you thinking?"

"Tonight? I'll see if I can get reservations at Landmarc?" he asked, mentioning her favorite restaurant.

"Hm….my favorite restaurant and one of my very favorite guys? How could I resist? Should I meet you there?"

"Sounds good, I'll try for 7:30 reservations. If I don't get them, I'll let you know."

"I'm looking forward to seeing you," she softly said, "We've got a lot of catching up to do."

"We do," he agreed, as the dream images crept back into his mind.

"Mac," Stella began, walking into his office, "I need you to…oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realize you were on the phone."

Drea heard and wryly said, "Ah, your master's voice. I'll let you go. See you at Landmarc at 7:30."

"Looking forward to it," he smiled, "See you then." He hung up the phone and turned to find Stella watching him with a curious smile. "What?"

"You're smiling," she observed, with a laugh. "Were you making a date?"

"Maybe I was," he playfully returned.

"Mac! That's great! You're getting out again, I'm happy for you."

He shrugged, "I'm taking Drea Cesarone to dinner. I'm not sure if it constitutes a date or just two old friends having dinner."

Stella studied him a moment, then with a knowing wink said, "It's a date. Now, let's take care of this paperwork so you can get out of here on time."


	2. Chapter 2

He was late. Only by ten minutes, but that was enough to make Drea Cesarone wonder if Mac Taylor had stood her up. She wondered, as she waited in the lobby, if he'd thought twice about meeting her, even though he extended the invitation.

Catching her reflection in the glass of the front door, she noticed how nervous she looked. "Get a grip," she muttered, staring her reflection down. "It's Mac. He doesn't stand women up…"

As if on queue, the door opened and Mac walked in, bringing with him a blast of cold November air. She watched as his eyes scanned the lobby, found her, and a smile overtook his features.

"I'm sorry, Drea," he began, stepping to her, "Traffic was a nightmare."

"Its okay,' she dismissed, feeling silly for doubting him, "I had them hold our table."

XXXXX

Dinner was delicious and they talked and laughed while they ate, just like they had in the diner on the previous night. He was nervous at first too. She could see it in the tightness of his jaw, which dissipated through their meal.

She realized, as they scanned the dessert cart, that she'd monopolized the evening's conversation. A lot had gone on in her life since they'd last seen each other and he prompted her to tell him all of it. She'd tried to draw some details out of him, but he insisted that nothing much had changed and encouraged her to go on.

He was attentive, curious, and flirtatious. Mac Taylor didn't flirt in an obvious manner, this she'd known for a long time. No, Mac's flirting was so subtle she doubted he even recognized what he was doing. It was in his eyes, his smile, the way he leaned closer when he spoke.

Drea did her best to subtly flirt back. After all, she didn't want to be too obvious and scare him off. She guessed she was doing something right because his demeanor didn't change. Drea decided she hated this silly mating game and that one of them was going to have to make a move soon or she would totally lose her mind.

"Do you see anything you like?" he asked, with twinkle in his eye.

"I do," she replied, deciding that she would take a chance, "But you mean on the dessert cart, don't you?" His smile told her that she hit her mark.

"The dessert cart," he said, then, added, "For now."

She smiled back at him, her eyes lingering for a moment before returning to the array of sweets. "I think I'll go with the tiramisu."

"Sir?" the waiter said.

"Just coffee," Mac dismissed.

"Oh no you don't," Drea laughed, then to the waiter, "Could you please bring two forks?"

"Yes, Miss," he smiled, walking away.

"I'm not eating dessert alone," she said, laying her hand down on the table. "I don't like to eat dessert alone."

Mac reached out and took her hand, "What else don't you like to do alone?"

"Mac Taylor," she playfully said, "You're flirting with me."

"I'm trying to," he laughed, "Not too sure how good I'm doing."

"You're doing an excellent job," she smiled. "I was wondering if you asked me out to dinner as a date or as a friend. But I didn't want to ask."

"I really didn't think about it when I asked," he admitted. "I wanted to see you. It didn't matter on what terms."

Something about that statement touched her heart. "That's probably one of the nicest things a guy has said to me in a long time."

"I meant it when I said I've been thinking about you," he went on, his tone serious, thoughtful.

"Me too. I've wanted to call you so many times…"

"Why didn't you?"

"I don't think I was ready," she admitted, raising her eyes to him. "You were right. I needed to get my bearings, to mourn for a while. I wouldn't have done that if we…" She trailed off.

"Drea, I don't want to push you into anything."

"You're not pushing anything, Mac. I called you, remember? I've thought of you probably more than I should have," she nervously said. "A lot has changed, but through out all of it, my thoughts kept coming back to you and the fact that I wanted to see you again. But I wasn't sure if you felt the same."

"We've been friends for too long," he simply said.

"We have, but that's only part of why I couldn't get you out of my mind," she went on, deciding that she'd come this far so she might as well keep going. "I've always found you attractive, Mac…and after Frank…when we kissed…." She stopped, fearing she went too far.

"If you only knew what that kiss stirred up," he softly chuckled.

"So I'm not the only one?"

He shook his head, "You're not the only one."

The waiter brought their dessert and coffee, giving them a brief respite from their conversation. After he left, Drea nervously took a mouthful of tiramisu. It was delicious and she savored it for a moment before swallowing.

"That," Mac wryly observed, "Is a look of bliss."

"It's amazing," she said, taking a forkful. "Here," she brought the fork to his lips and fed him the mouthful.

He slowly took the tiramisu from the fork, chewed and swallowed. "It's not one of my favorite desserts," he admitted. Then with a smile, "But there is something to be said for the way it was delivered."

"I can feed you more, if you'd like."

He raised a brow, "Hm…."

Drea laughed, "Did I touch on some dark hidden fantasy or something?"

"Maybe," he laughed with her, then grew serious, "I need you to know something…"

"Yes?"

"I…" he stopped, gathering his thoughts for a moment.

"Mac," Drea said, her voice soft, "I don't need some grand declaration of your intentions…"

"Maybe I need it," he quietly said. "This….can't be a one night stand."

Curious she said nothing, waiting for him to continue.

"You're a friend and more than that, you were Frank's wife. I can't treat you like you don't matter, like our past doesn't matter."

"So, you want to try a relationship?"

"I want," he said, giving her hand a squeeze, "To do whatever will make you happy."

His words brought out a rush of emotion that took her by surprise. "From any other man, I'd take that as a slick line designed to get me into bed. But from you…"

"So, what will make you happy?"

"To get you into bed," she softly laughed.

"And then what?"

"We'll see where it goes? "

"Sounds fair to me," he agreed. "Now, finish your desert."

"Why? Do you have something planned for the rest of the night?"

With a sly smile he said, "Yeah, making you happy."


End file.
